December 26, 2014
When someone is having a heart attack or other serious health problem, every second counts.
Most people know to call 911 for help when someone shows signs of heart or breathing difficulties, but patients have a greater chance of survival if someone can provide assistance before the first responders arrive.
In an effort to help save more lives, Harpswell's three fire and rescue departments are working toward making the town a Maine HeartSafe Community by providing training to as many people as possible and making life-saving equipment available in more public places.
According to the Maine Cardiovascular Health Council, "Early recognition of the signs and symptoms associated with sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack and stroke, immediate access to emergency services, and prompt medical treatment are all crucial to prevent future events, save lives and reduce medical costs and disability. Maine HeartSafe Communities designation promotes enhancements to each of these important links and recognizes a community's dedication to improving its 'Chain of Survival' through partnerships with the local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program."
To become a HeartSafe community, the local EMS service must offer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to local residents, place at least one Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on emergency vehicles and in a public location, dispatch Advanced Life Support to all emergency medical calls and promote the "chain of survival" in the community.
Ed Blain, chief of the Orr's and Bailey Islands fire department, said the town's full-time paramedic service provides advanced life support services, and AED devices are available on most of the town's emergency vehicles. In addition, many of the department's volunteer Emergency Medical Technicians carry AEDs in their personal vehicles so they can provide quick care in their own neighborhoods, if needed.
In addition, volunteers from all three departments recently attended a training on team CPR, which involves high-quality, consistent CPR along with quick access to a defibrillator. Blain said the Portland Fire Department began using the technique a couple of years ago and saw its survival rate for cardiac arrest cases jump from less than 5 percent to more than 20 percent after the first year.
"We are implementing this team approach in the Harpswell departments and will do another training to strengthen our team members," Blain said. "What is equally beneficial is a well-trained community, and we will pursue that as well."
The next steps, Blain said, are to provide community CPR training, encourage placement of AEDs throughout town and provide AEDs to more of the town's volunteer responders.
Blain said the departments plan to reach out to find suitable locations for public placement of AEDs, simple-to-use devices which can be used by anyone to provide life-saving shocks to people in cardiac arrest. Good locations include public buildings, schools, stores and restaurants. Blain said each AED unit costs about $700 and the departments hope to find people willing to underwrite or sponsor purchases for various locations. Donors will be recognized with a plaque at the location where the unit is installed.
Anyone interested in donating toward that effort can email cpr@obifd.org or call blain at 207-833-5199.
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| CPR Instructors Janice Adams and Jim Whittaker |
"I think this is an important step for the community, especially since we're so far from the hospitals," said Jim Whittaker of Orr's Island, an OBIFD firefighter and driver who is helping to coordinate the training programs, along with Janice Adams, a retired nurse practitioner from Orr's Island.
“Everyone should know CPR,” Whittaker said. “It’s too simple not to know.”
The simplest and easiest program, called Family & Friends CPR, is a two-hour class designed to teach basic skills to people of all ages. Training is provided in basic CPR, AED use and choking relief for adults and children, but does not require testing or certification. Organizers hope to offer it to both adults and children, including school and scouting groups. The class will be offered free of charge.
"Anyone who completes it will know what to do if someone is having heart or breathing trouble," Whittaker said.
A second course, called HeartSaver, offers more in-depth training on CPR and AED use for adults as well as full CPR and first aid training to deal with children and infants. The four-hour program, which includes a skills test and leads to a two-year certification, is aimed at parents, grandparents, teachers, nannies, day care workers, babysitters, lifeguards and others who may be around children, although anyone is welcome to attend. A $20 fee will be charged for the class to cover the costs of books and other materials.
The third course, Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers, is aimed at doctors, nurses, EMTs, therapists and health care aides, as well as anyone who wants to learn more advanced life-saving skills, including CPR and rescue breathing. The four-hour program concludes with a written and skills test and provides certification in the techniques. This class also will have a $20 fee to cover costs.
The first program to be offered this year will be the HeartSaver class, which is scheduled for Monday, January 12, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the old Orr's Island Schoolhouse, located next to the Orr's Island fire station on Harpswell Islands Road, Route 24. Registration is required and may be done by sending an email to cpr@obifd.org with contact information. Anyone interested is invited to take the class, although size is limited.
Other classes at the different skill levels will be offered in the coming months. The courses will be advertised in local media and posted on the web at www.obifd.org and www.harpswellfireandrescue.org.
To facilitate future programs, the department is also looking for more people to help teach the courses, which requires training offered at Midcoast Hospital in Brunswick. Anyone interested can contact Whittaker at cpr@obifd.org for more information.
Harpswell's three fire and rescue departments include Cundy's Harbor Volunteer Fire Department, which serves all of Great Island from the Brunswick line to Stevens Corner Road on Route 24; Harpswell Neck Fire and Rescue, which serves all areas off of Route 123, including Mountain Road west of the Ewing Narrows bridge; and the Orr's and Bailey Islands Fire Department, which serves Orr's, Bailey and part of Great Island south of Stevens Corner road and east of the Ewing Narrows bridge.
More information about the three departments, including how to join as a volunteer, is available at www.harpswellfireandrescue.org.